--Pavillion, Hattori Compound--

“I know you are familiar with the deity that dwells within me, Rah, and that fact that it gives me the ability to channel the power of the sun. As we know the sun is life, yet it is also capable of great destruction, just as nature has means to protect us from these effects we must also do this for ourselves.”

“What are you saying?” Akane asked, still upset, yet tame enough to be willing to listen. “You’re not making any sense.”

“We were indeed ambushed by the Hama clan; they caught us right at the end of a difficult hunt. Their attack was desperate, they were backed into a corner as we had forced their entire clan into annihilation. They had nothing to lose. I used a technique in the battle that I wasn't ready for. It decimated the enemy, but my brother was caught in the explosion.” Hisayo closed her eyes as she relived the painful memory.

“His burns from the blast are ultimately what killed him. I tell you this to caution you on the danger our abilities possess. Ones with wide affecting areas like yours or mine can easily get out of hand if we lose control. It is for these reasons that you were raised the way you were.”

“And you think this excuses you? I know that our way of life demands a certain upbringing. I know what the destiny thrust upon me meant. Do you not think that I wished to make you proud? Did you not think that I dealt with your punishments and extra regiments because I so desperately wanted to be acknowledged as your daughter.?” Akane’s rage had subsided, giving way to frustrations long held dormant.

“I didn’t expect such silly things like being doted on. However, I did expect you to least be my mother!” Akane was on the verge of tears now. “When you sent me away I had all but hated you by then, however, Aunt Hisui told me something that explains your behavior.” She looked at her mother, her green eyes burning with contempt.

“It’s because you were born weak.”

“Akane..” Hisayo’s tone had a low growl to it.

“You were jealous of my talent and you had me suffer for it!”

“Foolish girl, she was trying to play you against me. Hisui was just using you-”

“You just can’t admit it can you? That because I was born talented you held me in contempt! You were envious that I wasn’t born a sickly, useless-

“THAT’S ENOUGH” Hisayo shouted angrily. Her temper flared and a curtain of flames engulfed the courtyard. Hisayo saw red for a moment as she stared down at her daughter, but the anger was quickly replaced with regret as she extinguished the fire.

“Yes..you’re right” Hisayo quietly admitted. “I was..am envious of you. My father despised me from the day that I was born, and my mother disregarded me. Neither of them expected me to survive into adulthood. Everyone always fawned over Hanabi, even our brothers. They all stated how she was the ‘perfect assassin’ picking up all of our techniques and teachings and applying them as easily as she draws breath. You’re more like her than me in those aspects. From the moment you were conceived your father and I knew you would be special. When I look at you there are times that I do not believe I could have made something as...extraordinary as you.

Akane seemed to calm down a bit but was still wary of her mother.

“Well, you don’t have to worry then. I will be better than you. When I am in charge I will do things differently.” she declared. “I-”

“And there is nothing I desire more than this,” Hisayo interrupted. “I have no doubts that you can be better, but allow me to show that I can as well.”

Akane folded her arms tightly across her chest, facing away from her mother. The emotional heights of the conversation had begun to get to her, and her frustration threatened her with tears. Luckily her long hair had provided a curtain that obscured her face

“I’m sorry,” She finally said. “I don’t think I’m….ready for this sort of thing quite yet. You have made me a weapon by your design, I don’t think I am ready to be anything else to you just yet.”

Hisayo was visibly disappointed but she understood, only able to mutter a quiet “Oh,” in response.

“If there will be nothing else, I would..like to go,” Akane said. She bowed and hurried out of the room, without waiting for a response.

Hisayo let out a deep sigh and slumped down into one of the seats.

“I think that went pretty well,” She said to herself.

-----

Akane walked through the halls of the mansion, her mind swirling with thoughts of the previous conversation. Confused and upset, she somehow ended up outside the bedroom door of Haru Shimomura, and upon hearing the soft ringing of the guitar strings and the girl's endearing voice, Akane’s conflicted mind eased itself. She softly knocked on the door, hearing the playing stop and a muffled “Come in” from the other side.

In her room, Haru sat cross-legged on her bed, her guitar laying across the foot of her bed.

“What’s up?” She greeted her with a half-smile.

“I would like to talk with you again...if that’s ok?” Akane asked.

Haru shrugged. “It’s your house; I’m surprised you knocked”.

“Right..” Akane said as she entered and sat on the opposite side of the bed. “How has your stay been?”

“Well the maids are nice, they clean my room and bring me food, so that's always good. If I weren’t in the middle of nowhere, it’d feel like a 5-star resort.”

“I see,” Akane answered. An uncomfortable silence filled the room.

“Ms. Shimommura-”

“Haru,” the girl interrupted. “Just Haru is fine,”

“Haru..” Akane looked as if she was getting used to the name before she continued. “Would you mind telling me about your mother?”

She shook her head slowly. “I wish I could, but she died when I was young. Was just me and my dad for most of my life.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I did not know.”

Haru waved off the statement.

“It’s fine, she was gone before I got to know her anyway. When I was younger I used to carry around a lot of anger, I used to pick fights, skip school, and all that. Dad was..preoccupied most of the time so I admit it got pretty lonely.” Haru leaned against the headboard of the bed as she reminisced.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Akane said. “Your father, what was he doing? If you don’t mind me asking?”

Haru chewed on her lower lip, her eyes had a distant look in them as she answered,

“He’s in prison,” She stated. Akane cast her eyes down again, chiding herself for prying.

“I’m sorry, I guess I'm the wrong person to ask about parents,” Haru sadly chuckled. “I was adopted by my rich uncle and aunt after and things kinda stabilized, though I took what I had for granted then. I was such a damn brat, even though they gave me so much love. Sure they were annoying at times or got on my case, but I know they wanted what was best for me. Seeing how they did things...made me realize that there isn’t a guide to how to raise a kid. I don’t know if I would be any better a parent than my dad was, as I guess having someone like him is all I know.” She looked up to see Akane staring at her thoughtfully, igniting a blush across her cheeks

“Oh well I mean, what do I know, just conjecture I guess,” she said nervously.

Akane chuckled at Haru’s awkwardness.

“What’s so funny?” The girl asked

“Nothing, believe it or not, you’ve helped me realize something I did not consider. Thank you,” She let out a relieved sigh,

“For all their power, my mother and father are truly hapless fools. Just like anyone else,”

Haru cast a glance to Akane’s back, catching a glimpse of her tattoo graphic peeking out of her shirt.

“You know, you still haven’t told me the story behind that awesome ink on your back,” She inquired. “I’ve got some time for that long story now,”

Akane felt the tug of embarrassment on her heart, but she took a deep breath. She needed to move on somehow.

“It is...to honor the first person I ever loved.” She said. Haru went silent for a moment, noticing the solemnity in her words.

“She must have been incredible, ” Haru marveled,

“She was. She was strong and capable, despite being kind of a hick. She was also funny and caring, and the first person to accept me for who I was, and encouraged me to accept myself.”

“What was her name?”

Akane smiled sadly, the thoughts of her former lover fondly dancing through her mind.

“Eira,” she answered.

--Gardens, Hattori Compound--

“Control your breathing! And Straighten your back! Your posture is horrible!” Maya forcibly corrected Yuko’s posture as she tried to practice a few breathing exercises.

“I’ve been at this for hours,” Yuko complained. “How is this supposed to help me defend myself?”

“To fully utilize Tai’Xuan you must be able to manifest your Ki, you have to draw it from within. Again!”

Yuko sighed as she went to try the exercise again. She sat cross-legged and closed her eyes, breathing long and deep. She felt her body tingle and goosebumps beginning to creep along her skin.

“Good,” Maya said approvingly. “Continue to focus, breathe,”. A thin white aura appeared around Yuko’s body, glowing like a weak, blurry film across her skin.

“Am I..doing it?” Yuko asked excitedly. “I am!” The white haze soon stabilized into a thin solid outline around Yuko’s body. She examined herself in awe. “Pretty special don’t you think?” she smugly remarked.

Maya inspected the girl's aura. “Extremely thin, barely enough to protect you from a paper cut, but acceptable nonetheless. Good job, I suppose.”

Yuko collapsed in an exhausted heap on the ground, sweat pouring from every inch of her body and breathing ragged and labored.

“So when are you going to teach me something cool? Like that ‘whooshing’ thing you guys do?” Yuko asked and made a ‘whooshing’ motion to accompany the sound.

Maya raised a brow at the girl's incredulous mimicry.

“That ‘whooshing’ is a fairly advanced movement technique called shuunpo, and unfortunately you're far too old to learn it,” Maya answered

“No fair!” Yuko pouted. “Well, can you at least show me how it's done? Please?”

Maya sighed. “I suppose,” She relented. “As I mentioned before Shuunpo is a combat technique within most martial arts and is the greatest expression of speed and agility one can hope to achieve. Observe,” Maya disappeared from Yuko’s view only to appear behind Yuko nearly instantaneously. A small gust of wind blew through her as she turned to face Maya in amazement.

“As you can see, it’s merely a faster, more efficient method of getting from point A to point B.”

“I don't even know how to begin to see how what you did was humanly possible,”

Maya groaned. “It's quite simple, one merely uses their Ki to augment their movement. The faster one is, the fewer steps needed to reach their destination.”

“And how fast are you Ms. Maya?”

Maya raised her head in pride. “As a Shuunpo master, I’d happen to be one of the fastest in the clan. I have taught several pods of trainees the skill for years.”

“And yet, when we were kids, she tried to boast about her mastery to me and ended up dashing straight through a wall. She was out cold for half the day.” Zed nonchalantly strolled into the garden, grinning at Maya’s furious and embarrassed glare.

“It seems you’re teachings are going well,” Zed said “With aura like that the girl will be able to survive a vicious attack from a common housefly,”

“A housefly?” Maya questioned. “I believe that may be too advanced for this young pupil, perhaps a water flea?”

“Did you just come to make fun of me?” Yuko said, annoyed and dejected.

“While I would prefer it, I have not. I am looking for Shelty, I have not seen her for quite some time.”

Maya looked worried. This was highly unusual. Usually, the blonde teen made it a point to have her presence known, but it has been unusually quiet lately.

“Now that you mention it, her presence has been absent for quite a while.” Maya ruminated. “Where could she have run off to?”

“Umm, the last I heard she was going to clean up a mess he made earlier but she never came back,” Yuko added.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Maya said. “It is not like her to not check-in for so long. I shall inform the estate security to search for her. Zed, inform the mistresses and put the estate on alert, just in case. Also, put the way stations on alert.” Zed nodded in affirmation and disappeared to perform his duties.

“What am I supposed to do?” Yuko asked

“Go inside and grab your friend. If we have to lock down the premises I want you two in the same area,”

“Lockdown? What do you mean? She’s just a little late isn’t she?”

“Shelty is never late. Shelty would not get lost. If she is delayed, then something delayed her. Now do as I said, you will have further instructions when we find out what's going on.”

Maya then disappeared herself, leaving a worried Yuko alone in the courtyard.

A large flock of birds flew overhead fleeing from whence they had come.

A storm was coming.